Category Archives: MATCH REPORTS

Lothian Thistle boss: We gave Kelty a footballing lesson Samuel Nhamburo scores at the death for Lothian Thistle HV. Pic: Scott Louden NEIL MCGLADE AT NEW CENTRAL PARK Published: 06:30 Monday 14 August 2017 0 HAVE YOUR SAY Lothian Thistle Hutchison Vale boss Raymond Carr says his side gave Kelty Hearts a footballing lesson despite needing a last-gasp Sam Nhamburo goal to seal their passage through to the Scottish Cup second preliminary round The teenager had only been on the pitch for seven minutes when his close-range header from a Louis Swanson cross clinched a 1-0 win at New Central Park. The hosts also finished the match with nine men as both Murray Carstairs and Kenny Adamson were given their marching orders in the second half. Nhamburo celebrates his winning goal The Capital side’s players and bench celebrated as if they’d just won the Scottish Cup, mindful of the success their last adventure in the competition brought two seasons ago when they came within 90 minutes of a mouthwatering fifth-round tie with Celtic. Lothian and Kelty will lock horns again this season in the East of Scotland League after Kelty elected to leave the junior ranks after a 42-year stay as they step up their pursuit of SPFL football. However, Carr doesn’t believe for a minute they’ll walk the league at a canter as has been suggested in some quarters. “If it had gone to a replay then I still would have fancied us to beat them down as I think we gave them a football lesson, to be honest, with the way we were knocking it about,” the Lothian manager explained. “With the money they’ve spent in the summer to what we have … good luck to them. I think they’ve bought the wrong players because if you want to go into the senior leagues then you can’t just launch balls all the time. “Their supporters have been saying that we have no chance of winning the league and that they’ll be going up at the first attempt but we’ll just go about our own business. “I just hope some of the other teams in the league stand up to them.” On his decision to introduce 19-year-old Nhamburo late on, Carr said: “Sean [Wringe] was beginning to tire up there so I thought I’d throw Sam on and told just told him to get into the areas we needed him to be. We knew he was good in the air and what a great header to win it. “We were playing better when they had 11 as it stopped the momentum we had going. I think we deserved it. There was a wee spell at the start of the second half where we fell out of it but I thought we were the better team.” The visitors were the more productive during a cagey first half – Jamie Devlin drawing a fine stop from Scott Christie in the Kelty goal after just three minutes. Wringe shot wide as he raced through on goal from a long clearance out of defence by John Sherlock before Devlin again spurned a decent chance having been put through by Dean Cummings. Kelty were reduced to ten men within nine minutes of the restart, Carstairs shown a second yellow for a trip on Devlin. The home side rallied, though, and Ross Philp’s net-bound header was clutched away by Kevin Swain before the visiting goalkeeper produced an even smarter stop in the 89th minute as he tipped over a powerful Sean O’Neil header from just a couple of yards. Adamson was dismissed by referee David Munro for a late lunge on Kevin Brown before Nhamburo struck. “I hate heading the ball so I thought I was going to fluff it!” Nhamburo admitted afterwards. “I was just relieved to see it hit the back of the net. I’ve played a few games this season and scored a few goals so we’ll see what’s coming next.” Kelty Hearts: Christie, Carstairs, Taylor-MacKenzie, O’Neil, Adamson, Nimmo (McCabe 89), Husband, Greig, Dalziel (Douglas 69), Ritchie (Campbell 22), Philp. Subs: Penman, Leighton, Cargill, Marley. Lothian Thistle Hutchison Vale: Swain, Moore, O’Donnell, Sherlock, Munro, Muir, Hare (Swanson 69), Cummings, Wringe (Nhamburo 85), Brown, Devlin. Subs: Robertson, Crawford, Simpson, Wishart, Hutchison.

The East of Scotland League clash between Lothian Hutchison Vale and Leith Athletic.

Very much a title decider with the top two facing off against each other in the last game of the season.

A fourth sight of Vale and a fifth of Leith of the season.

Current champions Leith had been looking like the favourites to retain the title with a healthy goal advantage and points on the board. Then they only managed a draw in their penultimate game away to Tweedmouth Rangers and the door had been left slightly ajar. Vale then won 8-0 against Eyemouth before making the same journey Leith had to Tweedmouth Rangers and incredibly came away with a win by eleven goals to nil.

So the final day saw Leith needing to win the game by three goals to retain the title. Anything worse than that for them and Vale would win it.

DSC02112

I’m unsure of when it came about, but the home side seem to have dropped the word ‘Thistle’ from their name, which had been the second word.

Around 100 turned up to see the game, including a couple of Saracens Rugby fans who were visiting Edinburgh for the European Rugby Champions Cup Final taking place at Murrayfield later on that day.

Upon arrival at the ground we were advised that the programmes hadn’t shown up yet and that “Tony was bringing them”. We managed to obtain one later on.

A ball into the Vale box in 5 minutes saw Leith get the first chance of the match, but Tracey could only head wide.

After McKinlay had fouled, Vale had a free kick wide on the left in 7 minutes and Brown’s ball into the box was punched clear by Gordon.

Vale were bossing the early possession, but attempted through balls had been very poor.

Leith’s Mason was forced to come off through injury after 13 minutes.

DSC02135

A clever through ball by Wilkie in 14 minutes looked for Hainey in the Vale box, but Swain was out quickly to gather.

Devlin’s pass in 15 minutes saw Wringe running in on the Leith goal, but a fine tackle by Fee halted his progress.

DSC02159

Straight up the other end and good feet by Hainey created him some space in the box, but his shot was tipped over by Swain.

DSC02162

In 19 minutes, Wilkie played the ball wide to Burns on the left as Leith came forward. His cross into the middle found the head of Allan, but under pressure from Taylor-McKenzie, he couldn’t get it on target.

DSC02170

A minute later Devlin was through on the Leith goal, but the flag was up for offside as Gordon saved with his legs.

Moore required treatment in 27 minutes after he was caught by the boot of McKinlay when heading clear at the edge of the Vale box.

Taylor-McKenzie’s cross into the Leith box in 29 minutes came to the feet of Wringe with his back to goal. He quickly controlled the ball and turned before rifling low into the corner to give Vale the lead.

DSC02202

With half an hour gone, Taylor-McKenzie became the second Vale player to get a boot in the face, caught by Tracey.

Wringe tried to play a through ball for Devlin in behind Melvin in 33 minutes, but Gordon was out to claim.

Fee’s cross from the left in 34 minutes had Vale keeper Swain back peddling, but it hit the top of the bar.

DSC02222

Vale’s Taylor-McKenzie crossed low into the box in 36 minutes and the ball came to Muir, but his shot was deflected wide.

Two Leith players went for the same ball in 38 minutes and O’Donnell nipped in for Vale and set off towards the Leith goal. He cut the ball back to Devlin, but he took a heavy touch and the ball ran out for a goal kick.

A high ball into the Leith box in in 39 minutes saw Gordon palm the ball out from under the bar. Muir half volleyed goalwards and Black collided with the post as the ball went narrowly wide.

DSC02236

Still 1-0 to Vale at half time and Leith needing four goals without reply to win the league and deny Vale the title.

In the second minute of the second half, Leith’s Hainey and Vale’s Crawford chased the ball towards the Vale goal. Keeper Swain came out and Crawford left it to him. He got the ball, but also caught Hainey who needed treatment before he could continue.

The very windy conditions and bobbly pitch were making it difficult for flowing football, but both sides were giving it their all.

A mistake by Fee in 55 minutes gave the ball to Devlin on the by-line, but he couldn’t pick out a Vale teammate in the middle.

In 60 minutes, Hare found Devlin in the Leith box on the right hand side. Gordon got a hand to his shot from a tight angle, but Wringe followed up to blast past the defender on the line to make it two nil to the home side.

DSC02287

Allan floated a free kick from midway in the Vale half into their box in 62 minutes and Hainey controlled it before volleying the ball into the top corner for a fabulous goal to give Leith some hope.

DSC02295

Vale broke in 64 minutes and Brown, Wringe and Devlin were all involved before the ball was played wide to Hare. His cross eluded all three in the middle.

Allan was booked in 65 minutes for a kick at Hare.

O’Donnell had the ball on the left for Vale in 67 minutes and went down under the challenge of Burns, but nothing was given.

It looked as though the referee flashed a yellow card in 70 minutes, but I’m not sure who to.

Melvin played the ball forward to Hainey on the edge of the Vale box in 74 minutes and he turned and fired into the corner of the net to restore parity. A good comeback by Leith, but with just over 15 minutes left, they still needed three more goals.

DSC02325

Leith’s Melvin was shown a yellow card in 75 minutes for a foul and the free kick was played left to Hare. He fired the ball right across goal and it went narrowly wide. It must have taken a touch as a corner was given. Brown’s corner went over the head of Gordon, but Taylor-McKenzie couldn’t keep his header down.

A long ball forward by Brown in 80 minutes was over the top of the Leith defence and Devlin latched onto the ball. A defender was breathing down his neck, but couldn’t catch him and he slotted the ball past Gordon to put Vale back in front.

DSC02345

With five minutes left, Sherlock played the ball right to Hutchison. His cross didn’t pick out anyone in the box, but it came to Taylor-McKenzie, whose shot was comfortably saved by Gordon.

The Leith keeper went down injured in 86 minutes but was able to continue.

In the last minute, a mistake by Melvin on the right saw Devlin nip past him and square the ball for Hutchison. He made some space away from Fee, but shot off target.

The full time whistle came moments later to the delight of the victorious Vale players.

DSC02399

Leith never looked convinced they could win by three goals and Vale never gave them a sniff of doing so. A fine season for both teams, but Vale walk off with the league title.

Muir was outstanding in the first half for Vale and seemed to be everywhere. Moore and Crawford also impressed. For Leith, Burns and Hainey stood out.

Lothian Thistle Hutchison Vale boss Raymond Carr hailed his players’ desire to win the Central Taxis East of Scotland Premier League title after a 3-2 win over nearest challengers Leith Athletic. A Sean Wringe double had them two goals to the good before James Hainey netted a brace of his own to peg them back. However, Jamie Devlin’s late strike won it for Lothian, meaning the hosts finished top by six points, securing Scottish Cup football next season too. Lothian’s mammoth 11-0 victory at Tweedmouth Rangers in midweek meant Leith went in to the final day requiring a three-goal margin of victory to snatch the title on goal difference. Carr was delighted that his players ensured that never really looked like happening. “It wasn’t a game we needed to win, but it’s one we wanted to win,” he said. “We didn’t want to finish the season winning the league on goal difference, so it was rally important that we got the win so we won it outright. “This season it’s 50-odd games the lads have played, four defeats in the league, two semi-finals and a final. We’ve won four trophies with one still to go, so it’s been a tremendous season. It’s been hard work – we don’t have a massive squad and the under-20s have helped out at times, so I’m really pleased.” Any nerves that Carr’s players may have been feeling were banished when Wringe opened the scoring with just under half an hour played. He collected a pass in the area before spinning and drilling the ball low past Iain Gordon. It was essentially job done on the hour mark when Wringe got his second, turning home the rebound after strike partner Devlin had seen his initial effort saved by Gordon. Leith weren’t for surrendering meekly though and got themselves back in to the game when Hainey set himself up with a good first touch before sending a screamer of a volley over the helpless Kevin Swain and in to the top corner. That quick fire response lifted Derek Riddel’s men, despite the title looking well out of their reach by that stage. Hainey levelled things up with 15 minutes remaining, firing low across Swain from the edge of the area and in off the post. Carr attributed his team’s loss of control to the efforts exerted in midweek. “We put so much effort in midweek to get the goals,” he explained. “It was hectic – they were running in to the back of the net to get the ball back to the centre circle. It wasn’t a case of switching off – it was down to tired legs.” Devlin had enough left in the tank to win it late on though, racing on to a long ball in behind and coolly slotting past Gordon. Given how the table ended up, Lothian’s 3-0 win in the corresponding fixture at Meadowbank in January proved crucial in hindsight. “That 3-0 win could have been 10-0 if I’m being honest,” Carr insisted. “Maybe that would have helped their goal difference. I think a key point was when we played 75 minutes with nine men against Peebles and managed to win the game. That was a big, big game.” With even more silverware possible, Carr rates this is one of his best seasons at the club. “This is close to the under-21 team I had that won the Scottish Cup and four or five other cups,” he recalled. “The players have worked hard, training has been tremendous and I just hope next season a lot of them hang about.” Lothian Thistle HV: Swain, Moore, Munro, Crawford, McKenzie, Muir, Hare (Guy 84), Brown, Wringe (Hutchison 70), Devlin, O’Donnell (Sherlock 73)

Congratulation to our senior team Lothian Hutchison Vale Beating Lochar 6-1 in the South & East Cup Winners Shield – Final, and they now have a place in the William hill Scottish cup season 2017 2018,

And now we have another big game this Wednesday at saughton enclosure Vs Coldstream in the semi final of the king cup 7.30pm ko

Wednesday 19 April 2017, 19.45, Meadowbank

The East of Scotland Cup Final between Edinburgh City and Lothian Thistle Hutchison Vale.

The East of Scotland Cup is made up of the finalists of the East of Scotland Qualifying Cup, who join Berwick Rangers and Edinburgh City in the semi-finals. Spartans were victorious in the Qualifying Cup Final, beating Lothian Thistle Hutchison Vale in the final at Oriam, which we attended on 19 March. Vale defeated a young Berwick Rangers team in one semi, while we were at the Spartans v Edinburgh City semi final on 28 March.

It’s a second viewing of City, with the semi our only other sight of them this season. A third look at Lothian Thistle Hutchison Vale.

City were fresh from a vital win at title challengers Arbroath in their battle to avoid the drop from League Two and were sitting a point clear of the relegation play-off place and four off automatic demotion with three teams below them. With that very much being seen as the priority, they only had three players starting the game who started in the previous league game, with a further three on the bench.

Vale had won 2-0 at home to Stirling University in the East of Scotland League on the previous Saturday. They sat 5 points behind league leaders Leith Athletic with two games in hand.

The game was being held at Meadowbank Stadium, the home of Edinburgh City. As stated in my report of City’s semi final win at Spartans, they are moving out of the stadium as it is being developed at the end of the season, so a last visit before the old girl disappears.

Meadowbank Stadium is a multi-purpose sports facility originally built to host the 1970 Commonwealth Games in Edinburgh. It’s been used for a raft of sports (although not rafting) since then, including rugby union, American football (and at the indoor facilities) squash, basketball etc etc. It was also used again for the Commonwealth Games of 1

It was home to Meadowbank Thistle between 1974 and 1995. Since 1996, it has been where Edinburgh City play their home games, with a capacity of 5,000, which is essentially the giant stand on one side of the pitch. The complex also hosts East of Scotland League’s Leith Athletic, who play on the 3G artificial pitch adjacent to the main stadium.

It has been a rare sight over the years to see the stand busy at Meadowbank and for this game there were 133 in attendance.

In the third minute, Vale’s Muir was eased off the ball by Harrison as he came forward. Taylor–McKenzie shot for goal from the 30 yard free kick, but Antell had plenty of time to get in position to catch.

There was little in the way of chances as a midfield battle developed.

Riordan took a City corner in 14 minutes which was met by the head of Donaldson, but he nodded over the bar.

Good closing down by City in 17 minutes saw Vale left with playing the ball back to the keeper, but the pass was intercepted and quickly played to Riordan, whose shot from the right side of the box was saved by Swain. The ball ran along the six yard box and Makofo looked to have a tap-in, but Crawford managed to deflect the ball wide.

In 22 minutes a bouncing ball was played into the City box and Harrison ran into the back of Sherlock once it had cleared the box. Taylor-McKenzie took the free kick and Antell made a diving save to push it around the post.

Wringe ran onto a through ball in 27 minutes into the City box, but Harrison showed good strength to ease him off the ball and let it run through to Antell.

A minute later and Caddow got to the by-line and picked out Guthrie in the Vale box, but he headed over.

A City free kick in 30 minutes was taken by Harrison and came to Riordan who controlled the ball then, under pressure from Crawford, shot well off target.

Hutchison did very well for Vale in 34 minutes, bursting down the right and putting a good cross into the area. Hare got his head to the ball, but under pressure from a defender, couldn’t direct the ball at goal. It came back to Devlin whose downward header beat Antell and found the net to give Vale the lead.

Good play by Vale’s Devlin in 38 minutes saw him go past Donaldson and Harrison, but Gair covered well and got the ball away.

No further action in a first half which saw lots of overhit and misplaced passes, with neither side at their best.

The first minute of the second half saw Vale break and Brown fed Hutchison. He couldn’t get his foot round the ball though and Antell was able to gather.

A minute later and Devlin was clean through on the City goal and lobbed the ball over Antell as he came out from his goal. He chased the ball in and lost his footing as it came back off the post and the grateful defence managed to clear. Devlin managed to hurt himself during the incident and was replaced.

In 51 minutes, Makofo managed to get to the by-line for City, but his cross eluded McConnell in the middle.

The players swapped roles a minute later with McConnell’s ball across goal falling to Makofo, but from close range, a defender managed to block his effort and Swain gathered.

A Vale ball forward in 60 minutes caught out the City defence and O’Donnell broke clear. With Hutchison well placed in the middle, he decided to go himself and saw his shot turned past the post by Antell.

A City cross to the back post in 63 minutes saw City’s McConnell and Vale’s Hutchison race for the ball. It wasn’t clear who got there first, but a City corner was given, which came to nothing.

Vale’s Mungall was shown a yellow card in 73 minutes for dissent.

Hare managed to nick the ball off a City defender in 74 minutes and raced towards the City goal. As Antell came out to meet him, he dinked the ball over him to put Vale two goals up.

With 78 minutes gone, Riordan slid in Guthrie on the right hand side of Vale’s box, but he could only shoot into the side netting.

In 82 minutes, Guthrie found Riordan inside City’s box and he drilled a low shot through Swain’s legs to give City a lifeline.

A slack pass by City in 85 minutes gave the ball to Hare and he stepped away from a defender and shot for goal. Antell did well to parry the ball and smothered it before Hutchison could get there.

As the game entered injury time the last chance fell to Vale with a break of the ball falling to Brown who shot from distance, but it was just wide.

Not the greatest of games in which Caddow was solid at the back for City and Hare stood out for Vale.

A good win for Vale and another piece of silverware to add to their collection.

Lothian Thistle Hutchinson Vale climbed to second in the East of Scotland League with a 3-0 victory at Eyemouth United on Saturday morning.

Kevin Brown fired the visitors into a 10th-minute lead and Jamie Devlin doubled the lead on the half-hour mark. Substitute James Guy ensured the points late on the for the visitors.

The victory brought Lothian Thistle to within five points of Leith Athletic but Leith made it eight with a victory at Ormiston on Sunday afternoon.

Lothian Thistle dominated from the start and had chances through Brown and Devlin within the opening five minutes. Devlin then headed an awkward chance wide before Brown scored a fine goal to put the visitors in front. Brown collected the ball 30 yards from goal before charging down on goal and unleashing a rocket which gave Adam Mutch no chance.

Willis Hare and Scott Taylor-MacKenzie both had further chances as the visitors were beginning to dominate.

There was still a threat from Eyemouth though and just before the half hour mark, Sean Campbell received possession out wide before cutting in and forcing a clever save from Bryon Gibb. However, Lothian’s lead was doubled a minute later when good work from Hare, Taylor-MacKenzie, Dylan Moore and Sean Wringe set up Devlin who slotted home.

Anthony Muir hit the bar with a header for the visitors just before the break but they wouldn’t be left to rue on missed chance as Eyemouth offered little.

The second half was very quiet with little worthy of note until substitute Guy added Lothian’s third in the 88th minute. Free-flowing football worked the ball to Guy and he slotted home to make it a good day’s work for the away side.

With Edinburgh City now in the SPFL, there was no automatic City Cup Final place for Berwick Rangers this season. For this semi final at Saughton Enclosure, Rangers fielded what was effectively their Development team though suspended first teamer Michael McKenna played the opening 35 minutes before retiring lest he aggravate an old knee injury.

There were three bookings, only two of which were for foul play, but the game was more physical than a typical Development League encounter and this, coupled with a very bumpy pitch, made it hard for the Berwick youngsters to play their normal free flowing game. The uneven surface also probably contributed to the many occasions on which the ball went out of play.

To put matters into some sort of perspective, in their final qualification game to play in this match, East of Scotland League Lothian Thistle Hutchison Vale were comfortable 4-0 winners at Lowland league Hawick Royal Albert, Berwick first team’s Scottish Cup conquerors earlier in the season.

The Edinburgh side made the early running winning three corners in a row. Later, Liam O’Donnell squandered a good chance to put the hosts in front after the ball was played his way across goal. Something looked on for Berwick when Daniel Watt raced on to a long ball from Ryan Porteous.
He got between two defenders but was thwarted by good goalkeeping from Kevin Swain.

Willis Hare was booked for a heavy tackle on Berwick’s David Verlaque whilst Watt picked up a yellow for flattening Dylan Moore near the touchline before Lothian found the net, at the third attempt, in the 42nd minute. Sean Wringe was the scorer after a corner ball was headed on to the bar and an initial follow up shot was blocked.

Though Stephen Scott headed a couple of feet wide of Swain’s post immediately after the restart, LTHV’s attacks generally carried more threat. Wringe got the better of Euan Bauld to send a low ball running dangerously close to Sean Brennan’s line but at the far post, the onrushing Hare only managed to poke it the wrong side of the upright.
Kevin Brown and O’Donnell teamed up, the latter’s shot deflected off Verlaque into the hands of Brennan.

On another break forward, O’Donnell cut inside before switching the direction of play leftwards again but the angle was too tight for the supporting Jordan Mungall to do much and Brennan easily saved. Wringe was unlucky to hit the post after Brown sent him through and it took an 88th minute penalty for LTHV to double the margin. Scott Taylor-McKenzie’s kick beat Brennan after Kieran Ingram sent O’Donnell crashing. Ingram wasn’t booked but Sam Jones had been earlier for the manner of his complaint about a throw in decision going the way of the team in stripes.

Rangers tried for a consolation. Jones rode a foul on his way to putting in a low drive but Swain pushed it outside his post for a corner and he made sure of keeping a clean sheet by punching away Verlaque’s stoppage time corner.

Thistle fought the elements and a fairly average Rangers side mainly made up of development players, to claim their spot in the East of Scotland Cup Final where they’ll face either Spartans or Edinburgh City. The encounter was hardly a classic; as the wind, rain and the conditions under foot, all took their toll to make this a match only for the diehards.
Weather aside, from very early on it was apparent that Thistle were the side making the most of the situation and the likeliest to take something from the game. Despite the keepers not having much to do, Thistle created a few half chances for themselves before finally taking the lead just ahead of half time thanks to Scott Taylor-MacKenzie strike.
If anything, the second half was even harder on the eye but Rangers at least contributed with a couple of half chances of their own. With Thistle failing to take any of their chances, the game was unnecessarily in the balance until two minutes from time when they were awarded a spot kick that Taylor- MacKenzie stuck away.
Thistle boss Raymie Carr said afterwards “I think the pitch played a big part in the game tonight. “It was heavy pitch and not one for producing attractive football, and difficult for the players to run with it. “So, you’re really looking for the players to have a good touch and find a pass, but I think both sides played the park as best they could with all things considered.
“When we lost Grant early on, we we’re in a bit of a panic as our centre half’s were all injured. “He was the only one available and when he went down we thought that we could be in for a tough time, so we had to drop a midfielder into his position. “Once we settled down we looked a side that were in the ascendency and if anybody was going to get a goal it was always us.”

Ten had minutes passed before either side had a sniff of goal, and that came when an off balance Taylor-MacKenzie hooked the ball high over the cross bar. Another soon followed when Willis Hare tore up the left, passed inside for Kevin Brown, who then laid back for Taylor-MacKenzie to send sailing over the Berwick goal.
Hare was causing all sorts of problems out wide on the left for Rangers. He cut inside past his marker and dinked the ball over to Taylor-MacKenzie at the back post, but he scuffed his shot and sent well wide from eight yards. Up until now, the Berwick contribution to the game had been to clear their lines blindly into the Hutchie half.
That was still the case, but this time the ball fell stone dead on soaked ground, in a dangerous position 25 yards from goal. Daniel Watt took control; ran in on goal one on one with Kevin Swain, who’d been light on his toes to reduce the distance, and then block the big strikers attempt on goal from 15 yards and send it wide of goal.
The deadlock was finally broken four minutes before the break when Willis Hare headed off the cross bar from a corner kick. Hare was first to the rebound and headed on goal once again, it was cleared from the goal line and fell at the feet of Taylor-MacKenzie who then drove low through the bodies and into the back of the Berwick net.
The goal awoke Rangers from their slumber and they immediately made a decent effort to snatch a goal before the break. When defender David Verraque sent a nicely timed ball over toward the back post for Stephen Scott to strike on the half volley, and but for an athletic diving save from Swain, the sides would have gone in on even terms.
Berwick started the second half just as they ended the first, this time Stephen Scott headed over from a Kyle Scott cross. Vale regained control and should have taken a two goal lead when Taylor-MacKenzie sent a low cross into the six yard box. Both Hare and Brown slid in at the back post, Hare’s foot sent the ball on its way to goal but it struck Brown and rolled wide!
Taylor-MacKenzie and Jordan Mungall both forced a save from Sean Brennan, before another fantastic chance was created when Kevin Brown played Sean Wringe on with a nice ball through. His 12-yard shot struck off the back post and rolled along the goal line before Brennan could pounce and safely gather into his arms.
With the game entering the last couple of minutes, Thistle were still looking for a second to seal the deal. The chance came when Declan Moffat was brought down after cutting into the Berwick penalty area. The referee pointed straight at the penalty spot, goal scorer Taylor MacKenzie stepped up and converted with a minute of time left.
LTHV: Swain, Moore, Mungall, Crawford, Munro (Simpson 20), Alastuey, Hare (Guy 67), Wringe, Brown, O’Donnell (Moffat 90), Taylor-MacKenzie. Subs Unused: Moffat, Henriques.
Goals: Taylor-MacKenzie 41, 89.
Cautions: Hare.
Berwick: Brennan, Verraque, Anderson, Bauld, Cook, Scott (Ingram 66), McKenna (Chapman 35), Jones, Watt, Scott (Sutherland 70), Porteous. Subs Unused: Allan, Helm.
Cautions: Watt, Jones.

The teams have faced one another on five occasions already this term, Lothian prevailing each time and scoring 30 goals in the process. And, although the East Lothain strugglers have seen the last of Raymond Carr’s men for the remainder of the campaign, Weir is adamant his players must learn to approach these fixtures in a much better frame of mind. “It wasn’t very good to watch last weekend that’s for sure,” Weir said ahead of their home East of Scotland League encounter with Peebles Rovers tomorrow. “I think the guys have got that mentality now that when they see we’re playing Lothian, they know what lies ahead. They’ve just got that attitude in their heads before the match even starts. “I went up to Raymond after the game last weekend and said ‘thank god we’ve not got to meet you lot again this season’. We’ve played them twice in the league and three times in various cup competitions but we played Leith just recently and although we lost 3-1 we played really well.” Weir will welcome back 17-year-old striker Aidan McMillan into the squad for the visit of Peebles, the teenager making himself available for selection again having previously ruled himself out due to work commitments. “We played a friendly against Newcraighall Leith Vics on Wednesday night and won 1-0 with Aidan coming on as a sub and scoring the winner,” Weir explained. “He played with us at the start of the season and did really well but due to his work he wasn’t able to make every Saturday. But he’s back again so he gives us a lot of options. There’s every chance he will start tomorrow.” Elsewhere, Lothian make the trip up the M9 to tackle Stirling University where a win would leapfrog them above leaders Leith who are in Qualifying League Cup action at Tweedmouth Rover

The teams have faced one another on five occasions already this term, Lothian prevailing each time and scoring 30 goals in the process. And, although the East Lothain strugglers have seen the last of Raymond Carr’s men for the remainder of the campaign, Weir is adamant his players must learn to approach these fixtures in a much better frame of mind. “It wasn’t very good to watch last weekend that’s for sure,” Weir said ahead of their home East of Scotland League encounter with Peebles Rovers tomorrow. “I think the guys have got that mentality now that when they see we’re playing Lothian, they know what lies ahead. They’ve just got that attitude in their heads before the match even starts. “I went up to Raymond after the game last weekend and said ‘thank god we’ve not got to meet you lot again this season’. We’ve played them twice in the league and three times in various cup competitions but we played Leith just recently and although we lost 3-1 we played really well.” Weir will welcome back 17-year-old striker Aidan McMillan into the squad for the visit of Peebles, the teenager making himself available for selection again having previously ruled himself out due to work commitments. “We played a friendly against Newcraighall Leith Vics on Wednesday night and won 1-0 with Aidan coming on as a sub and scoring the winner,” Weir explained. “He played with us at the start of the season and did really well but due to his work he wasn’t able to make every Saturday. But he’s back again so he gives us a lot of options. There’s every chance he will start tomorrow.” Elsewhere, Lothian make the trip up the M9 to tackle Stirling University where a win would leapfrog them above leaders Leith who are in Qualifying League Cup action at Tweedmouth Rover

EAST OF SCOTLAND CENTRAL TAXI`S LEAGUE Sat 14/1/2017
Leith Athletic 0 V Lothian Thistle Hutchison Vale 3
Fantastic run continues
Manger Raymond Carr made one change after last weeks win over Tynecastle with Liam O’Donnell replacing John Sherlock with Dylan Moore dropping back to right back. We dominated the opening exchanges with Jamie Devlin causing the Leith defence all sorts of problems with his direct running.
It was from a defence splitting pass played down the right defender centre half channel from Kevin Brown that Jamie put is ahead after 15 minutes. Another through ball and run from Jamie ended with him being brought down by the Leith goalkeeper who was cautioned. From the resulting penalty he pulled off two excellent saves from Kevin Brown to keep the score at one. But we were not to be denied when Liam O Donnell got his head to a Willis Hare cross the home keeper parried and Devlin was on hand to poke it into the net. Both sides hit the wood work and kevin Swain had a good save with his feet when Leith threatened. Ht 2-0
Halftime the team talk was on the importance of the next goal and we started off slowly at the beginning of the half but another piece of direct running by Devlin lead to his hatrick and finished the game as a contest Leith kept playing and hit a post late on Sherlock ,Guy & Mungall were introduced for Wringe, Hare & O’Donnell. We continued to look dangerous everytime we broke and the Leith Goalkeeper and some poor finishing especially from crosses left the score 3-0.

SAT 15TH OCT
SFA CHALLANGE CUP
PRESTON ATH V LOTHIAN THISTLE HUTCHISON VALE
Lothian Thistle Hutchison Vale coach Steven McKenzie reaffirmed his view that his side would be an asset to the Lowland League after Saturday’s 2-1 South Region Cup second-round victory over Preston Athletic.
First-half goals from James Guy and Kevin Brown – the latter’s coming from the penalty spot – saw the East of Scotland League outfit prevail over the Lowland’s bottom side at the Pennypit, Fabio Neto’s 68th-minute strike proving no more than a consolation for the weary-looking Panners.
In truth, this win merely strengthened the Saughton-based outfit’s assertion that they could more than hold their own in the higher division.
In truth, this win merely strengthened the Saughton-based outfit’s assertion that they could more than hold their own in the Lowland League
“There’s no difference at all really and I think we once again proved that,” McKenzie said. “But it’s all about opinions and I am confident with the squad we have we would do well in the Lowland League next year if given the chance. The club are working really hard behind the scenes to get things like a licence in place so that’s where we’re at the moment. “Overall, I think we deserved to go through. It got a bit scrappy in the second half and, with us not taking our chances late on, it always gives them some hope. They chucked a lot of balls into our box but I thought we defended really well.
“Overall, I think we deserved to go through. It got a bit scrappy in the second half and, with us not taking our chances late on, it always gives them some hope. They chucked a lot of balls into our box but I thought we defended really well. “The thing about this team is they never give up. We’re delighted to be in the next round. We’ve got the final of the Alex Jack Cup on Sunday against Tynecastle so that’s given us a big boost ahead of the game.”
Lothian did grab the initiative in the 18th minute. Guy was afforded space to bear down on Craig Pennycuick’s goal and, despite having options either side of him, the striker chose to try his luck from 25 yards which saw his looping effort swerve away from the Preston No.1 and into the far corner.Anthony Muir stung the palms of Pennycuick just seconds later before Neto used his pace to stretch the Lothian defence but could only drag his effort wide of the target. Devlin again called Pennycuick into action but the keeper was left rooted to the spot as Brown converted from 12 yards right on the stroke of half-time after Neto had foolishly pushed over Devlin in the area

The hosts had far more purpose about their play in the second half and gave themselves a glimmer of hope with 20 minutes remaining when Neto knocked home a loose ball after Kevin Swain had parried substitute Jack Jardine’s first-time effort. Both Muir and Willis Hare had chances to put the tie to bed late on but brought out the best in Pennycuick
Lothian Thistle Hutchison Vale: Swain, Wishart, Taylor-Mackenzie, Wilkes, Munro, Muir, Moore (Hare 46), Brown, Devlin, Guy (Mungall 76), O’Donnell. Sub: Shala

LOTHIAN THISTLE HUTCHISON VALE V ORMISTON FC
It’s not often you’ll hear a manager reveal his players were feeling frustrated having just swept aside the opposition 11-0.Scott Taylor, Jamie Devlin and Willis Hare all bagged themselves a brace in this one-sided affair at Saughton Enclosure, but Carr revealed the hosts didn’t quite have it all their own way as they were met by a plucky defence during the first half
But that’s exactly what Lothian Thistle Hutchison Vale manager Raymond Carr witnessed on Saturday as his side took Ormiston to the cleaners in the first round of the South Region Challenge Cup.
“But all credit to Ormiston, they played well and defended when they had to and their goalkeeper had some terrific saves. We know we can score goals from all over the park so it was nice with the goals coming in from all over the park.

Penicuik Athletic: Bejaoui, Sproule, Devlin, Callaghan, Young, Janczyk, Barr, Gay, Somerville, McCallum, Trialist
Subs: Forbes, Trialist, Trialist, Bald
Lothian Thistle Hutchison Vale: Swain, Moore, Mungall, Crawford, Munro, Muir, Hare, Brown, Wringe, MacKenzie, Devlin
Subs: Trialist, McDonagh, Fox, O’Donnell, Wilkes, Hutchison, Trialist
A bleak night at Penicuik Park saw the Cuikie falter to a 3-0 defeat against East of Scotland League champions Lothian Thistle Hutchison Vale. The visitors started brightly, Devlin, Hare and Wringe all having chances within the opening ten minutes, through Penicuik’s front two of McCallum and Somerville would also try their luck. Wringe was proving to be the danger man, forcing Bejaoui into a save before Gay tested Swain with a long range chip that the keeper was able to catch. The next real action came on the half hour mark as a Janczyk long ball forward was me by Somerville on the volley, though he was unable to generate enough power and Swain saved easily. Somerville would then having a golden chance to open the scoring two minutes later, but he was unable to direct his header from Sproule’s cross towards goal. Thistle would end the half on top, MacKenzie testing Bejaoui before Devlin was adjudged offside when one-on-one.
HALFTIME: Penicuik Athletic 0-0 Lothian Thistle Hutchison Vale
Thistle began the second half as well as they’d ended the first, as they took the lead a minute after the restart. Moore did incredibly well to keep possession under pressure from Young and Devlin before delivering the ball on a plate for WRINGE to head past Bejaoui. They continued to press, Devlin firing over minutes later after being set up by MacKenzie. Young would have Penicuik’s first chance of the half as he headed Janczyk’s free kick over the bar. However, Thistle were to double their lead on 62 minutes. A misplaced Barr pass gave O’Donnell the chance to run at Callaghan and Sproule, and his cutback fell in the path of WRINGE, who fired high into the net. A raft of subs then followed as the sting went out the match. Penicuik’s next chance came in the 72th minute, as Barr’s cross led to a Trialist firing a shot which was charged down into the path of McCallum, whose turning shot was well saved by Swain. Thistle weren’t finished and added a third three minutes from time, as Brown’s excellent lofted ball allowed DEVLIN to run clear of the Penicuik defence and finish past sub keeper Bald. The final action of the match saw a McCallum header ruled out for offside in injury time.
FULLTIME: Penicuik Athletic 0-3 Lothian Thistle Hutchison Vale

IMG_1389
So it was that Wednesday night marked the end of our fantastic journey following LTHV. For four months we have followed Raymond Carr’s men across the country, as they battled against the odds to be in the hat for the Quarter Finals. A quite remarkable achievement. Myself and my Dad have loved every second of it. We have witnessed last gasp goals, replays, extra time wins and giant killings. Just to emphasise the kindness of everyone involved at LTHV, Tom Allison who is the chairman and founder of the club put two tickets aside for myself and my Dad on Wednesday. The match was an all ticket affair and a sell out. As we were unable to get to either East Kilbride or Edinburgh to purchase tickets, Tom had no hesitation in helping us out when I asked the question. So I feel there is no more appropriate place to start than with a heartfelt Thank You to the players, staff and everyone involved at Lothian Thistle Hutchison Vale. It’s been a pleasure watching the team and we wish you all the best for the future.

As if the match didn’t have enough spice to it with the potential of a last 16 tie against Celtic for the winners, news spread a couple of hours before kick off that Hutchie were without a recognised goalkeeper. Kevin Swain agonisingly broke his arm at the weekend, and backup keeper Byron Gibb was ruled out with a virus. Rumour had it that Fraser Ogilvie, the clubs player/coach would be between the posts. However contrary to this news that was spreading like wildfire across social media, Gibb managed to make himself well enough to play. Looking very slight in goal I feared his youthful inexperience would cost the team over 90 minutes. I was glad to be proved wrong as the young keeper performed very maturely under what must have been immense pressure on such a big occasion. He made some great saves and only once or twice was his callowness exposed.

I had been in London with work earlier in the day so it was actually quite welcomed to only be travelling 15 minutes up the road to East Kilbride. It’s somewhere I used to go regularly as a kid. Growing up in the southside of Glasgow, we would board the train from Clarkston on a Saturday morning and head over to the Dollan Aqua Baths for a shot on the inflatable obstacle course. Or on occasion over to the ice skating at EK Town Centre where we would eye up the girls from school, but be too embarrassed to go over and talk to them. I can happily report I overcame my fear of talking to the opposite sex as I grew up.

Myself and my Dad pitched up at the far end of the ground in amongst the small army of LTHV supporters. A bunch of young Hutchie lads were in competition with East Kilbride’s own vociferous nippers, as they created a bit of atmosphere at the intimate K-Park. If only LTHV had scored, as I was dreaming of pandemonium in the away end with bodies going everywhere. I might even have leapt over the barrier onto the pitch in a moment of madness. Alas, my pitch invasion will need to be saved for another day.IMG_1387

East Kilbride came flying out the traps and didn’t seem fazed by the occasion, catching LTHV off guard. ‘Kilby’s number 11 Anthony Brady showed terrific close control as he went on a solo run, jinking past about five players before being stopped by the last defender. EK’s speed and agility was evident in the opening 15 minutes. As with most LTHV matches I’ve watched, myself and my Dad feared they would be on the receiving end of a heavy defeat. The men from Edinburgh were under the cosh and hoofing clearances up the pitch for the first quarter of an hour. But we had learnt by this point not to write them off. Our positivity paid off and they worked their way back into the game after settling down and playing some good football. Around the half hour mark brought the best chance of the match up until that point, and a chance Willis Hare will no doubt be having sleepless nights over. Scott Gormley skipped past a defender and laid the ball off for Hare who crashed his shot against the crossbar. We have seen LTHV get in similar positions before and still go on to win, but unfortunately it didn’t continue on Wednesday night.

With LTHV slightly on top but the match becoming a bit scrappy, it seemed likely that both teams would into the break all square. However a loose pass was taken advantage of by Jack Smith, son of Andy who played in two Scottish Cup Finals for Airdrie, and a terrific half-volley sailed into the bottom corner. Had Kevin Swain been in net I still don’t think it would have changed anything, Smith’s shot was too powerful and accurate.

Half time consisted of moving about to keep as warm as possible. Zero degree temperatures made it a cold January night in East Kilbride. After a quick scroll of Twitter I learnt that Gordon Strachan, Barry Ferguson, Ally McCoist and Leigh Griffiths were all in attendance. Further evidence of how this match had grabbed the attention of football fans across the country.

Much like the remainder of the first half, the second 45 minutes were fairly even. Anthony Brady once again went on a mazy run through the Lothian defenders, only for Smith to drag his shot wide. As the match ticked on LTHV committed more men forward in search of an equaliser and Willis Hare (still referred to as Gareth Bale by Hutchie supporters around me) almost pulled them level. The EK keeper produced a great save to tip the ball round the post. Then with only 4 or 5 minutes to go ‘Kilby sealed the win after LTHV’s reserve keeper spilled a corner, allowing Sean Winter to push the ball home.

On the whole I don’t feel the 2-0 scoreline was a good reflection of the match. LTHV matched them every step of the way and had two great chances to score. East Kilbride were more clinical when it mattered which is why they find themselves in dreamland, and looking forward to a tie against a club called Celtic … never heard of them.

It has been confirmed the match will be played at Hamilton’s New Douglas Park on 7th February which holds just over 6,000 – in comparison to K-Park’s 500 capacity. It’s an unbelievable time for East Kilbride and a huge payday which will set the club up for a number of years. Demand for tickets will be exceptionally high, so I hope my Dad and I manage to snap up two and share in watching the biggest match of East Kilbride’s history.

Standard

REPLAY: Lothian Thistle

Lothian Thistle Hutchinson Vale marched on in the William Hill Scottish Cup to earn a Fourth Round tie at East Kilbride – the side who knocked them out the tournament last season – after a 3-0 win over Highland League Huntly at Ainslie Park in the third round replay last night.

After Saturday’s postponement due to Storm Desmond, Raymond Carr handed John Ross Kerr a starting berth with Eddie Mearns suspended following his late dismissal in the first match at Christie Park, whilst there was a place on the bench for Scott Moffat who has resumed training following a collapsed lung.
Lothian were unexpectedly sporting their reverse white kit due to the colour clash with Huntly’s blue away kit, but despite that late change the capital outfit were quick to settle on the artificial turf.
The Highland League side went close after eleven minutes when Neale Davidson stabbed wide following a cut back from striker David Booth who netted the opener in the first encounter.
Five minutes later a menacing left wing cross from Scott Taylor-McKenzie caused a bit of consternation in the Huntly defence with John Urquhart and Darren Wood both colliding with each other in an attempt to cleat the danger.
But it was Lothian who took the lead in spectacular fashion after 22 minutes when Taylor-McKenzie curled in a delicious strike into the top corner from 30 yards following a pass from Dean Cummings.
Willis Hare was looking to create another piece of cup magic for himself after his extra time winner at Montrose in the Second Round

His shot was blocked by the legs of Huntly keeper Fraser Hobday on 35 minutes before Ian Cruickshank went close for Mark Gray’s side with a bouncing effort that Kevin Swain had to gather at his near post.
Scott Gormley went close to scoring his third goal of the competition following a long upfield ball but he caught it on his weaker left foot and scuffed his effort harmlessly wide, as the East of Scotland Champions went in at the break a goal to the good.

Eight minutes into the second half, Kerr doubled Lothian’s advantage just seconds after he had a shot that flew inches over Hobday’s crossbar.
Gormley pulled away down the right wing before delivering a teasing cross to the back post, Kerr rising well to direct his header into the far corner of the net

Glen Murison screwed a shot wide of Kevin Swain’s left hand post as the visitors looked to try and get a foothold back into the game with Booth’s penalty box effort gathered by the former Spartans stopper.
Kerr was booked for diving as he looked to win a penalty for Lothian on 62 minutes before Davidson had a shot defected over for the visitors.
The Highland League side were rapidly running out of time and their misery was compounded on 84 minutes when keeper Hobday was sent off after bringing down Taylor Hendry who attempted to round him.
Darren Smith confidently stepped up to stroke the ball into the net past and although Huntly continued to battle away gamely, Lothian never looked to be in any real danger of conceding as they comfortably saw out the closing minutes to secure another another memorable evening as Lothian became the first East of Scotland club to advance in the tournament past Christmas following the advent of the pyramid system.

Manager Raymond Carr was once again delighted to see his side secure another big scalp in the competition dedicating the win to former manager Kevin Twaddle who celebrated the birth of his baby daughter this week

“Once we settled down and got into our stride we played some wonderful football and I think Scott’s goal gave us the boost we needed to go on and win the game.”
“Sometimes it is easy to play to play too much football but although we probably played better football up at Montrose, once we got the first goal I knew we’d be in a great position and John Ross Kerr did well to get the second goal, we know he’s got a real presence with his height and he was brought in to help Scott Gormley up front.”
Carr is now looking forward to the prospect of a Fourth round tie with Billy Ogilvies side.
“They are flying at the moment and they got a superb result against Stenhousemuir in the last round but we’ll look at that when it comes, it’s still important we kick on in the league as well.”

Huntly goalkeeper Fraser Hobday is quietly confident he and his team-mates can overcome Lothian Thistle Hutchison Vale in Saturday’s replay in Edinburgh to set up a Scottish Cup fourth-round tie away to either Stenhousemuir or East Kilbride on January 9.

Huntly led at Christie Park last weekend thanks to David Booth’s 38th-minute strike.

But the Edinburgh side levelled through veteran Scott Gormley’s 70th-minute effort to set up the replay at Saughton Enclosure.

Hobday said: “The boys are all fired up for this weekend’s trip, although I still think we should have capitalised more at Christie Park.

“We created two or three great chances in the first half and should have been farther ahead than 1-0 at the interval to put the game to bed.

“But I’m sure the boys will have the same hunger in their bellies on Saturday, especially as we now know that if we win we might play Stenhousemuir in the fourth round.

“That should give us that extra push to go and win the replay in Edinburgh.

“We know now what we are facing against Lothian Thistle Hutchison Vale now we have seen them up close.

“I was expecting them to be a little bit better than they were on the day, especially as they had knocked Montrose out after a replay in the previous round.”

The 20-year-old Aberdeen-based chef added: “We are quite capable of progressing to the next round by winning in Edinburgh.

“If we put the right team out and we come together collectively then we can do it.

“The spirit in our camp is brilliant and we have a great bunch of lads who get on really well together. There are no cliques in the squad and they will all be fighting for their positions.”

LOTHIAN THISTLE HUTCHISON VALE V EDINBURGH CITY MOVED TO MEADOWBANK

Edinburgh City boss Gary Jardine said he could have no complaints had his side’s South Challenge Cup second round win over Lothian Thistle Hutchison Vale gone to extra time.

City came from behind to win 2-1 thanks to Sean Muhsin and a late penalty goal from Ousman See after Darren Smith scored a penalty for the visitors early in a game that was switched to Meadowbank from Saughton to ensure it was played
Jardine got the tight game he was expecting against the East of Scotland champions. “It was always going to be that way” he said. “I said that during the week that they’re a good side. We know what we have to do to be successful and our success is based on hard work. It wasn’t a great game – the pitch was very sticky and it was about trying to grind it out. While the general play wasn’t great, there was quite a lot of chances.
“They missed one or two that they felt they should have scored but likewise we did too. We started well and I thought the penalty they got was really soft but after that our goalie never touched it for 20 minutes and we created a few good openings. The goal we did score was a bit scrappy but on the balance of play we deserved it.”
Lothian didn’t start like a side who had conceded home advantage, getting off to the perfect start when they were awarded a penalty within four minutes. Kevin Brown was adjudged to have been impeded following a cross from the left, and Smith stepped up to send Andrew Stobie the wrong way and give his side an early lead.

Lothian keeper Kevin Swain had to show strong hands from Gordon Donaldson’s well-hit volley, after the wing back was picked out on the angle of the box with a searching pass from Shaun Harrison. Dean Carse followed that up by sending a powerful volley narrowly over.
City were beginning to assert themselves following an indifferent start, and Ouzy See maybe should have done better than to fire a Carse knock down over from close range. The striker was even closer a minute later, sending the rebound against the post after Swain had palmed Harrison’s free kick away. The Lowland League champions were level on the half hour.
Ian McFarland’s claims for a penalty were ignored after tumbling in the area, but the ball ended up at Sean Muhsin’s feet, who’s drive from 18 yards took a huge deflection and bounced into the opposite corner from Swain’s helpless dive.
Lothian somehow contrived not to retake the lead 5 minutes after the break. Brown’s low ball found Willis Hare five yards out, who inexplicably didn’t convert, allowing Stobie to gather. Harrison was close to making City’s pressure tell just after the hour, firmly meeting McFarland’s corner with his head, but Swain was able to hold. At the other end, Stobie had to stand up well to save from Hare.

The game becoming stretched going into the last ten, with Stobie holding a MacKenzie effort from distance. However, City were given the second penalty of the game with two minutes remaining when See was felled after a clever spin. The striker picked himself up to stroke his spot kick high past Swain.
The City striker stepped up in place of suspended captain and penalty taker Dougie Gair, but was just glad to get through. “It was a really hard game” he admitted. “We dug deep and got the win in the end. Dougie’s the penalty taker, but I’m always there to step up and was more than happy to take it.”
Edinburgh City: Stobie, Carse (Vanson 74), Donaldson, Harrison, Paterson, McKee, McFarland, Muhsin, See (Wishart 90), Dunn, MacDonald.
Lothian Thistle Hutchison Vale: Swain, Moore, MacKenzie, Wilkes, Crawford, Mearns, Brown, Kerr ( Cummings 64), Hare, Smith, O’Donnell (Gormley 64).

With thanks to Edinburgh Evening News who have been following Lothian’s progress in the Scottish cup:

LOTHIAN Thistle Hutchison Vale manager Raymond Carr hailed a “sensational” result as the Captial side knocked Montrose out of the Scottish Cup and dedicated the victory to a trio of players who missed the match.

The East of Scotland League side travelled north for their second-round replay with the League Two outfit without a clutch of key players through injury and suspension, including captain Grant Munro, Eddie Mearns and Scott Moffat.

However, Carr’s shock troops defied the odds by drawing 1-1 in normal time thanks to a Scott Gormley strike and then scoring seven minutes into extra-time through Willis Hare to seal a 2-1 win and book a winnable third-round tie away at Huntly.

“This result is dedicated to the boys we were missing tonight,” Carr said, “and it’s a sensational result for everyone connected with the club. I’m thrilled for everybody.”

On the prospect of taking on Highland League outfit Huntly, Carr added: “We won’t be fazed by them.”

Lothian Thistle, who knocked out Super League champions and crack Junior outfit Kelty Hearts in the last round and drew 1-1 in the original tie at Saughton Enclosure two weekends ago, made a bright start at a foggy Links Park, with Scott Taylor-McKenzie and John Kerr both going close.

But Lothian were in dreamland after 15 minutes when Gormley curled in his shot into the far corner after seeing his initial shot blocked by Montrose defender Terry Masson.

The League Two side threatened on 25 minutes when Scott Johnston fired a shot wide, but the equaliser for the home side came on 31 minutes in some style when Masson fired into the bottom corner with a well struck effort from 25 yards.
However, Lothian mastered the 3G surface very well and were worthy to go in level at the break with both Taylor McKenzie and Matthew Joint impressing in the full back berths.

Masson was lucky not to receive his marching orders for a two footed lunge on Darren Smith at the start of the second half. Gary Fraser then flashed a header wide from a Ferguson cross on 59 minutes as Lothian survived an anxious moment, although they continued to harry their opponents in the middle of the park with the hosts guilty of some sloppy passing.

Montrose centre half Andrew Steeves was almost punished for a slack pass back to Ross Salmon that Gormley almost seized upon but the keeper spared his blushes.

Lothian could have had a penalty with five minutes of normal time to spare when O’Donnell was clattered by Salmon on the byline before Kevin Swain made a superb save to deny Fraser.

Lothian missed a golden chance to win the game on 88 minutes when Ryan Fox and Dean Cummings were thwarted by a double save from Salmon as the game went into extra-time.

Hare had the first chance in extra-time with a shot that was stabbed wide as the game remained very open for both sides, but he put Lothian ahead on 97 minutes with a deflected effort as the Lothian bench went into delirium.

Swain then touched over a looping Fraser effort in the second period of extra time as Lothian survived an anxious last 15 minutes to cap off a sensational result.

HISTORY can sometimes be inauspicious in the making. And certainly as the squally autumnal showers swirled around the open expanses at the Saughton Enclosure in Edinburgh to see Lothian Thistle Hutchison Vale of the East of Scotland League play their first ever Scottish Cup tie against senior opposition in the shape of Montrose, you’ve got to say the grand old competition has probably had its more romantic moments.

But this was yet another uplifting tale to add to the many that have been woven over the years in the tournament’s history. The home side, after a shaky start which saw them go behind after only 12 minutes, came back in impressive fashion to square matters before the interval, and were completely deserving of another crack at this one in a replay at Links Park.

It marks another remarkable milestone in the slow, patient ascension of the Edinburgh club, originally founded in 1969, whose current name arises from Lothian Thistle joining forces with Hutcheson Vale – themselves a renowned force in youth football, whose starlets have included John Collins, Kenny Miller and Gary Locke, to name only a few.

Initially, it seemed that this would be a perfunctory win for Montrose as they came flying out of the traps, seemingly intent on blowing away their non-league opponents in much the same way as the stormy gusts of wind threatened to send the little marquee that had been erected for matchday VIPs hurtling in the direction of nearby Tynecastle. Graham Webster repeatedly galloped down the right flank and it was from one such run that the Angus side took the lead, his cross being hooked back to Ross Campbell, who stroked the ball into the net.
Crucially, they failed to build on this quickfire start, however, and Thistle’s nerves visibly calmed. Once they got the range of their passing with the strong wind at their backs they began to ask questions of their League Two opponents. In 36 minutes, they were level with centre-half Richie Wilkes powering home a header after he was left unmarked at a corner, and indeed such was the assurance that the underdogs were now playing with that they almost grabbed the lead just before the break with another fine set-piece, this time from Darren Smith, which once again saw Jordan Millar fully tested.

With the elements favouring them, it was expected that Montrose would go on to dominate after the break. But the guts and composure of the hosts meant they were never able to impose themselves to any great degree. That the closing 45 minutes were in fact a fairly arid stalemate will hardly matter a jot when the Thistle players and club officials reflect on this momentous occasion.

They might, in fact, have been celebrating a sensational victory as substitute Willis Hare stuck the ball in the net in the 90th minute only for it to be ruled offside.

Afterwards, the pride oozed from all those connected with the EoSL side. “Listen, if you had said beforehand we were going to get a draw, we’d have taken it,” insisted Thistle manager Raymond Carr. “But I think we were unlucky not to steal it at the end. They will call it a shock, but these guys work hard during the week and are looking to go further in the game.”

His words were echoed by Tom Allison, club chairman and original manager way back in 1969. “The lads did first class today – and we’re still in the draw for the next round,” he said with a broad smile.

For Montrose manager Paul Hegarty, the romance of the cup turned out to be more like an awkward first date on this occasion – and while commending Thistle on their sterling endeavours, he made no attempt to disguise his frustration with his own players’ efforts. “If you were a neutral today you would probably have said that Lothian Thistle Hutcheson Vale deserved more in the end

WILLIAM HILL SCOTTISH CUP
FIRST ROUND TIE
LOTHIAN THISTLE HUTCHISON VALE V KELTY HEARTS
26TH SEPT
With the visitors backed by a strong travelling support, early chances for Kelty strikers Calum Smith and Stuart Cargill went just wide and Lothian took the lead from the penalty spot on 33 minutes through Smith after Murray Carstairs fouled Scott Gormley inside the area.
Moments after Smith had a close-range shot from inside the box held by goalkeeper Swain, Lothian were in dreamland when Wilkes evaded his marker to turn and fire a low drive into the corner from a Kevin Brown corner.
Kelty brought on Shaun Greig for the start of the second half and, with Scott Gates causing problems down the left wing, the visitors were unfortunate not to have been awarded a penalty when Wilkes climbed on top of Cargill with Paul Currie firing narrowly over.
But the hosts made some key substitutions with 20 minutes to go, Willis Hare was introduced to add pace up front alongside John Ross Kerr who made his debut following his midweek signing.
With just five minutes to go, Lothian broke up the field and Kerr slotted home from close range and any hopes of a comeback from the Junior outfit were extinguished.
Lothian captain Grant Munro was delighted with the display and felt a strong midfield performance was also key towards booking a second round tie on October 24. “It was important to stay strong defensively but the midfield worked their socks off as well, we had two banks of four and as long as we kept it tight we knew we’d always be in with a chance of winning it,” he said.

WILLIAM HILL SCOTTISH CUP
GIRVAN FC 2 LOTHIAN THISTLE HUTCHISON VALE 5
Lothian Thistle Hutchison Vale manager Raymond Carr hailed the character of his side as they overcame Girvan to book a William Hill Scottish Cup First Round match with Kelty Hearts.
The Capital side had to come from behind twice early on in the Second Preliminary Round replay, but they established a 4-2 lead at the interval.

Scott Gormley netted a double for the East of Scotland Champions, with further strikes from Scott Moffat, Darren Smith and Scott Taylor-McKenzie ensuring the Saughton Enclosure outfit will now face the East Region Super League winners at home on Saturday, September 26

WILLIAM HILL SCOTTISH CUP
Lothian Thistle Hutchison Vale CC 2 Girvan FC 2
Dean Cummings 2
The two sides will do battle again this weekend in Ayrshire after the East of Scotland League champions were pegged back twice at Saughton Enclosure.
Dean Cummings netted both goals for Lothian but will miss Saturday’s replay after a late dismissal for dissent.
The former Tynecastle player thought he had won it with 13 minutes to spare when he headed in from a Darren Smith cross.
But Lothian were penalised just moments later when Eddie Mearns was cautioned for handball on the edge of the area with the referee pointing to the spot.
Paul Cameron stuck away the penalty for the visitors, although Lothian missed two golden opportunities late on that would have secured a place in the next round

The game started with the Home side on the front foot carrying on from Saturday and in the 8 th minute Scott Taylor Mackenzie took a cross field pass by Willis Hare ran past 3 defenders and squared to Scott Moffat to put the home side one up. Craigroyston tried to hit back but in doing so had two players cautioned. We also suffered a couple of cautions when the referee took exception to challenges from Wilkes and Taylor Mackenzie. In 26 minutes Dean Cummings combined with Scott Moffat to poke the ball passed the goalkeeper 2-0 Willis Hare crashed in number 3 in the 30 min, and by halftime Taylor Mackenzie had hit the post twice from free kicks from around the box and Scott Moffat had hit the post from a corner. A change was made for the start of the 2nd Half with Eddie Mearns replaced. by Scott Gormley who was soon into the action firing in for the goalkeeper to save after a lightening break set up by Kevin Swain throwing the ball out to Paul Crawford a quick one two with Hare and Paul drove forward before passing to Gormley. Ryan Wilson and Liam O’Donnell came on to give Scott Moffat and Willis Hare a break. Goalkeeper Kevin Swain then became goal provider to Scott Gormley when he lobbed in his clearance 4-0 the floodgates were now open and shortly after Ryan Wilson scored at the back post Craigroyston were down to 10 when the forward cautioned in the first half went off with a 2nd caution. Dean Cummings fired in his 2nd and the teams 6th with still 20 to go from a left wing cut back. Craigroyston were becoming frustrated and went down to 9 with a straight red after a bad tackle. Ryan Wilson added another from another run and cut back from the left 7-0. Time was played out with no further scoring.

The East of Scotland Team overpowered Tynecastle this afternoon 6-0.
The game opened with an early chance for Willis Hare and it was a forerunner to the 11th minute where a Dean Cummings pass found him free in the box and he shot through a defenders legs into the corner of the net 1-0.
Tynecastle were given a couple of chances from free kicks around the area but they came to nothing before we struck again a good passing move left Scott Moffat with the ball at his feet in the box unable to get a shot away he rolled it to a gleeful Scott Taylor Mackenzie who tucked the ball into the net.
Back came Tyncastle and they struck the post twice before on the stroke of halftime Grant Munro flicked on a Scott Taylor Mackenzie corner and the ball ricocheted of Scott Moffat and into the net HT 3-0.
The opening of the 2nd half continued as the first Tynecastle played some nice passes in midfield without hurting us. On the hour Darren Smith got in the scoring act sending a free kick low into the net. And 4 minutes later Grant Munro scored the goal his first half flick had deserved.
In fairness Tynecastle plugged away and only a fine save by Kevin Swain and a bad miss from the following corner stopped them opening their account. Manager Carr sent on Scott Gormley , Ryan Wilson and Kevin Brown .
In the last minute Gormley ran on to a through ball rounded the Tynecastle goalkeeper and was brought down. The goalkeeper was sent off and Gormley calmly stoked the penalty kick into the net 6-0 . A dream start to the league season.

LOTHIAN THISTLE HUTCHSON VALE 3 CRAIGROYSTON 0

The first game in the three team section saw us at home to cragie in a first half we controlled the game and a few missed chances saw us 0-0 at half time

The second half started with a goal scored by Scott Taylor with a fine free kick the second came through a penalty by Darren Smith who would be pleased to score from the spot.

Then a fine run from Scott Taylor saw a great cross to the far post that saw Darren slot home his second to make the score 3.0 a fine move.

East Kilbride 2-0 Lothian Thistle Hutchison Vale January 22, 2016scotthowe88Leave a comment So it was that Wednesday night marked the end of our fantastic journey following LTHV. For four months we have followed Raymond Carr’s men across the country, as … Continue reading →